This invention relates generally to the funeral service industry, and more particularly to a display system facilitating the selection by a customer of a casket in a funeral home selection room.
Funeral home casket selection rooms have evolved as those in the industry have attempted to better meet the funeral customers needs. The xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d presentation of product in a funeral home selection room was to simply place each casket on a bier and open the head end cap or lid of the casket to permit viewing inside the casket. As many caskets as possible were displayed in a selection room in order to maximize the number of product choices for the customer. Unfortunately, such a xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d presentation results in what has been referred to as a xe2x80x9csea of casketsxe2x80x9d effect, which can be both distressing or alarming and confusing to the customer.
Advances in the design of funeral home selection rooms have taken the form of providing a plurality of alcove structures, either of a xe2x80x9cmodularxe2x80x9d construction or of a xe2x80x9cstick builtxe2x80x9d construction, in the funeral home selection room. Each alcove structure includes a vertical back wall and a pair of vertical, spaced apart wing walls cooperating with the back wall to form an alcove. A soffit may span the upper front edges of the wing walls, and lighting, for example track lighting, may be incorporated into the soffit. A two-tier casket rack is located within the alcove, the lower tier of the casket rack being a roll out rack permitting the lower casket to be rolled out from under the upper casket and the casket lid opened for display of the lower casket. Tasteful signage and the like is mounted on the back wall above the caskets. Such a construction, which is the subject of the assignee""s prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,017 and 5,524,394, both increases the number of caskets which can be displayed in a funeral home selection room, as well as greatly improves the xe2x80x9clook and feelxe2x80x9d of the casket presentations, reducing the clutter and confusion of the so-called xe2x80x9csea of casketsxe2x80x9d effect and providing a feeling of comfort to the families. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,017 and 5,524,394 are hereby incorporated by reference herein at this point as if fully set forth in their entirety.
New construction and renovation costs being what they are, there is an ever-increasing need to increase the product density displayable in the funeral home selection room, without sacrificing comfort, convenience and look and feel of the casket display systems of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,017 and 5,524,394.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a number of selection room displays for facilitating the selection of a casket by a customer of the funeral home, which displays increase the density of product displayable in the selection room yet without compromising the pleasing look and feel of prior displays. One such selection room display comprises a vertical back wall and a pair of vertical, spaced apart wing walls cooperating with the back wall to form an alcove. A plurality of casket portions are displayed in the alcove. The plurality of casket portions represent a plurality of casket choices from which the customer may select. A vertical signage column or graphics tower is positioned in the alcove and displays information. The column would display information to create a xe2x80x9cthemexe2x80x9d for the alcove, such as informational and inspirational graphics; text and copy and lifestyle imagery.
In another aspect, a selection room display is provided which comprises as before, a vertical back wall and a pair of vertical, spaced apart wing walls cooperating with the back wall to form an alcove. A plurality of casket portions are displayed in the alcove, with each of the plurality of casket portions being removably positioned atop a shelf which itself is removably secured to the back wall. A plurality of casket information modules are displayed in the alcove, with each information module being removably secured to the back wall and corresponding to one of a plurality of casket portions.
In yet another aspect, an information insert for use in a selection room display is provided. The information insert is fabricated of a transparent material and comprises a first pocket having upper and lower edges and having a generally C-shaped cross section, a second pocket attached to the upper edge of the first pocket, the second pocket having a generally U-shaped cross section, and a third pocket attached to the lower edge of the first pocket, the third pocket having a generally U-shaped cross section. The second and third pockets have lower and upper edges, respectively; the lower edge of the second pocket is spaced above the upper edge of the third pocket. In an alternative embodiment, the third or lower pocket is eliminated.
In still another aspect, an information module for use in a selection room display is provided. The information module comprises an enclosure including a door pivotable to and between a closed position and an open position, and the above-mentioned information insert, which is movable into and out of the enclosure.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a selection room display is provided which comprises a vertical back wall including at least one horizontal groove therein. A plurality of shelves are removably secured to the back wall. Each shelf of the plurality includes an upstanding lip on a back edge thereof. The lip is received in the horizontal groove thereby cantilevering the shelf from the back wall. Each of a plurality of casket portions is displayed on one of the shelves. A plurality of casket information modules are displayed on the back wall. Each of the information modules includes an upstanding lip on a back edge thereof. The lip is received in the horizontal groove thereby cantilevering the information module from the back wall as well.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a selection room display is provided which comprises a vertical back wall and two pairs of vertical, spaced apart wing walls cooperating with the back wall to form a centrally positioned center alcove and two laterally positioned side alcoves. An entire casket is displayed in the center alcove, and a plurality of casket portions are displayed in each of the side alcoves. In an alternative embodiment, one of the side alcoves is eliminated.
The display system of the present invention includes a number of additional features. For example, the vertical signage column has a square cross section. The signage column extends from the floor substantially to an upper edge of the back wall of the alcove. The signage column is positioned in the alcove such that one wall of the column abuts the back wall and another adjacent wall of the column abuts one of the wing walls.
The first pocket of the information insert includes therein a portion of the cap panel of the casket. The second pocket includes therein a photo of the casket and the third pocket includes therein a fabric swatch of the casket. The information insert further includes a hook on an upper back side thereof. The hook is positionable over an upper edge of the door of the enclosure of the information module when the door is in the open position and the information insert is removed from the enclosure to thereby display the information insert.
In the three alcove selection room display, the full size casket is supported atop a floor engaging support. Each of the plurality of casket portions is removably positioned atop a shelf which is removably secured to the back wall, as described above. Either or both of the side alcoves may include a vertical signage column therein. The side alcoves further include a plurality of the above-described casket information modules displayed therein and removably secured to the back wall thereof. This three alcove display may further include cremation urns, vaults, head stones and sympathy cards displayed in the side alcoves. Graphics may be displayed on a central portion of the back wall forming the center alcove to create a xe2x80x9cthemexe2x80x9d. Similarly, graphics may be displayed on the signage columns to likewise create a xe2x80x9ctheme.xe2x80x9d
The present invention may also be utilized in a funeral home viewing room for displaying a body of a deceased. The viewing room comprises a vertical back room wall and a pair of vertical side room walls. A pair of vertical, horizontally spaced apart wing walls cooperate with the back room wall to form an alcove. A casket containing the body is positioned within the alcove. Signage forms the background for the casket. The signage includes text and/or graphics to create a theme. The theme is preferably patterned along the lifestyle of the deceased, for example, gender, religion, sports, politics, patriotism, outdoors and/or athletics.
The present invention therefore provides a number of display systems for use in a funeral home selection room which not only increase the number of product choices displayable in the selection room and therefore available to be chosen by the customer, but do so in a way which is tasteful and visually appealing. The invention also provides a funeral home viewing room.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein, in which: